Experimental Charge Density Studies of Cyclotetrasilazane and Metal Complexes Containing the Di‐ and Tetraanion

The homologous series of parent octamethylcyclotetrasilazane (c‐NH‐SiMe₂‐)₄, ( 1 ), the lithium complex [(THF)₂Li₂(c‐N‐SiMe₂‐NH‐SiMe₂‐)₂]₂, ( 2 ), containing the cyclic dianion, and [(THF)₂LiAl(c‐N‐SiMe₂‐)₄]₂, ( 3 ), accommodating the unprecedented tetraanion [Me₂SiN]^4‐ was synthesized to investigate the nature of the covalent Si‐N single bond in the presence of various metals. These model compounds show a wide diversity of Si‐N(H), Si‐N(M), Si‐N(H, M) and M‐N bonds and serve as bench‐mark systems to study polar bonds by high‐resolution low‐temperature X‐ray structure analysis. Experimental charge density studies reveal highly polar Si‐N bonds with remarkable ionic contribution, even in the non‐metallated starting material 1 . The Li‐N and Li‐O bonds have to be classified as almost purely ionic bonds with topological properties not far from those determined for NaCl.     

The far-infrared spectra of pyridine complexes of transition metal(II) isothiocyanates

The infrared spectra (500–140 cm^?1) of the complexes [M(pyridine)_n(NCS)₂] (n = 2, M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn; n = 4, M = Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni) are discussed. The v/M-pyridine and v/M-NCS bands are assigned by observing the band shifts induced by isotopic labelling of the coordinated pyridine and isothiocyanate, by comparing the spectra with those of the [M(pyridine)₂Cl₂] complexes and from symmetry considerations based on their known structures. The two types of metal-ligand stretching bands occur within a rather narrow frequency range and there is evidence of some vibrational coupling between these two modes. Some earlier assignments of vM-pyridine bands require revision. The spectra of the yellow [Fe(py)₄(NCS)₂] complex and its violet oxidation product suggest that the oxidation reaction involves the transformation of trans-[Fe(py)₄(NCS)₂] into cis-[Fe(py)₃(NCS)₃]     

Trace analysis of high-purity graphite by LA–ICP–MS

Laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) has been established as a very efficient and sensitive technique for the direct analysis of solids. In this work the capability of LA–ICP–MS was investigated for determination of trace elements in high-purity graphite. Synthetic laboratory standards with a graphite matrix were prepared for the purpose of quantifying the analytical results. Doped trace elements, concentration 0.5 μg g^–1, in a laboratory standard were determined with an accuracy of 1% to ± 7% and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2–13%. Solution-based calibration was also used for quantitative analysis of high-purity graphite. It was found that such calibration led to analytical results for trace-element determination in graphite with accuracy similar to that obtained by use of synthetic laboratory standards for quantification of analytical results. Results from quantitative determination of trace impurities in a real reactor-graphite sample, using both quantification approaches, were in good agreement. Detection limits for all elements of interest were determined in the low ng g^–1 concentration range. Improvement of detection limits by a factor of 10 was achieved for analyses of high-purity graphite with LA–ICP–MS under wet plasma conditions, because the lower background signal and increased element sensitivity. Received: 4 January 2001 / Revised: 27 March 2001 / Accepted: 28 March 2001     

Enzymatic ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone by Yarrowia lipolytica lipase in ionic liquids

Yarrowia lipolytica (YLL), Candida rugosa (CRL), and porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) were employed successfully as catalysts in the enzymatic ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ε‐caprolactone in the presence of 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF₄]), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF₄]), 1‐butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([BuPy][BF₄]), 1‐butylpyridinium trifluoroacetate ([BuPy][CF₃COO]), 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium nitrate ([EMIM][NO₃]) ionic liquids. Poly(ε‐caprolactone)s (PCLs) with molecular weights (M_n) in the range of 300–9000 Da were obtained. ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR analyses on PCLs formed by YLL, CRL, and PPL showed asymmetric telechelic α‐hydroxy‐ω‐carboxylic acid end groups. Differences between CP‐MAS and MAS spectra are observed and discussed in terms of morphology. MALDI‐TOF spectra show the formation of at least seven species. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Wide Angle X‐Ray Scattering (WAXS) results demonstrate the high degree of crystallinity present in all the polyesters. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5792–5805, 2009     

Order-disorder phase transition in p-terphenyl and p-terphenyl: tetracene doped crystals as studied by Raman spectroscopy

Phase transition in crystalline pure p-terphenyl and p-terphenyl: tetracene doped crystals was studied with Raman spectroscopy, for temperatures from 295 to 10 K. In particular, the torsional Raman vibrational mode with a “hard-core frequency” of 230.8 cm⁻¹ was investigated in its frequency and bandwidth dependence upon temperature. The results were analyzed based on an order-disorder model allowing the determination of the activation energies and orientational correlation times of the molecular diffusive process in the monoclinic (above 193 K) and triclinic (below 193 K) phases of the crystals. The activation energy is observed to decrease from the monoclinic to the triclinic phase, whereas the orientational correlation times increase, both in the undoped and the doped crystals. The doping of p-terphenyl with tetracene appears to affect the activation energy and the orientational correlation times in a different way in each phase.     

On the van der waals energy of two half-spaces at small separations

It is shown that the introduction of a cut-off wavenumber corresponding to electron-hole excitations leads to a 10% reduction of the Lifshitz van der Waals attraction of low density metallic half-spaces at small separations.